Pagan still has faith in Ó hAilpín

Carlton coach Dennis Pagan has pledged that the Blues will stand by Setanta Ó hAilpín as he struggles to come to terms with Australian Rules football.

Last Sunday was the former Cork hurler's seventh senior Australian Football League (AFL) game - his fifth in succession - and while Pagan admitted a lack of depth had forced the rock-bottom club to play the 2003 All Star before he was ready, Carlton would persist with what the Australian media calls "their Irish experiment".

"We've got to see it through to the finish," Pagan said. "We're not even thinking how long we're prepared to give Setanta. It took Jimmy Stynes five years to get there and Tadhg Kennelly three. Setanta's into his third year, but he missed 10 weeks in his first year with stress fractures, so he has only 30 games or so in total. Most of our guys started at eight or nine years old playing underage football. Setanta was 20."

Setanta's 6ft 6in, 96kg (15st) frame suggests he has the physical attributes to cope with the Australian game but so far he appears more often than not to be a fish out of water. Stynes, the greatest Irish player in the history of Aussie Rules, suggested as much as he warned that Setanta's task will not get any easier.

"Setanta has gone from being a big fish in the small sea of Irish sport to being a small fish in the big sea of Australian sport," Stynes said. "Playing Aussie Rules is a tough business and most AFL clubs move players on who drop in and out of the senior team. Setanta will only make it if he is consistently better than most of his team-mates. He is working very hard so he has a good chance when he gains more experience."

Setanta has shown flashes of ability - he became the first Irishman to kick a goal with his first kick in senior football against Richmond last year - but his senior debut lasted barely 10 minutes and this season his clangers have left Carlton fans wondering if his talent will translate into something more substantial.

"Setanta's played a few games on the trot now, a couple of good ones, a couple not so good," Pagan said. "He's worked hard and been diligent on his kicking but its not a natural thing for an Irishman adjusting to Australian football with the body work and tackling.

"He's a wonderful athlete, and so quick for a bloke who is six foot six. He's just got to work on the finer nuances of the game, which will only happen with experience."

Pagan remains philosophical about Setanta's long-term prospects. "We always knew it was going to be tough, but we were in a situation where we had to think outside the square," he said. "You just look at each case on its merits. We're just trying to get good players on our list. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."